Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/06/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 09:29 PM 6/24/99 -0400, Rob Schneider-Laura Tully wrote: >I read these sentiments a lot. Yet, I wonder . . . . Has anyone here >actually been assaulted or threatened (sneers and quizzical/dirty >looks don't count) when engaged in up-close street photography with a >Leica M? I'm talking about major cities, busy sidewalks, >well-trafficked areas, etc. Well, no, but I've damned near punched several "photo-journalists" out with their verkakte wide-angle lenses. We have had these discussions ad nauseam on this List, but I do NOT see why these morons cannot use a 90mm lens and remain at a decent distance. We have several present and former PJ's and editors on the List, and, probably, I will be publicly or privately pilloried by them for posting this, as I often am, but I do NOT understand why a 90mm head-and-shoulder shot at ten feet is not as good as a 35mm shot at 3 feet. But, apparently, editors have some psychological reflex need for wide-angle shots, so the PJ's are ordered to use 35mm or 28mm lenses to cover every press conference they attend. Sheezh! I am a photographer, friends. I do my own dark-room work. I use MF and miniature-format gear (35mm for the youngsters in our crew). And I simply fail to understand the frantic love for wide-angle lenses, other than that they radically distort the background. I guess I'm just not psychedelic enough for today's newspapers! Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!